Sheet feeding apparatus



June 20, 1933. A. BROADMEYER SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS Filed July'ZO, 1950 3 Sheel.S-Shee1'l l o M 6 Y Q my m www w m MIA l m m/v m Y r B f 6 M No o l wm um ,l NN o m v m. -w l o 11s IIINH NN mm O J R uw Sw N N o NW W N a w. .N QW ma Filed July 50, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 20, 1933.

A. BROADMEYER SHEET FEEDING APPARATU S Filed July 30, 1930 5 Sheets-sheet 3 ATTORNEY Patented June 20,A 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT ortica ALBERT BROADMEYER, OFHARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, AssGNOn 'ro w. O. HrcKox l Y MaNUrAOTURING COMPANY, OFHARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION F PENNSYLVANIA v SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS Application i'led July 30, 1930. Serial No. 471,713.

In sheet feeding mechanism in which a support for a plurality of sheets, such for 4example as a vertically moving table is employed, a conveyor is provided for carrying the sheets 5 away from the feeding mechanism, and

o er, or the like.

alongside this conveyor a guide is ordinarily employed in order that the line of sheets may bel properly directed to the succeeding instrumentality, such as a ruling machine, fold- Various mechanisms have been employed for insuring the bringing of the sheets against the guide as they are conveyed.

In the individual feeding of paper sheets from a pile, trouble is experienced by reason of the fact that the sheets will adhere sok that the topmost sheet will carry with it the underlying sheet. This is due to a variety of causes, among which is the fact that the sheets travel in line with the grain of the paper and there is a drag of one sheet upon the other caused thereby. In hand feeding the sheets are usually each drawn backwardly from the y pile before feeding forwardly to overcome this tendency. Y y

One of the important objects of the present invention is to provide mechanism that will Vfeed sheetsdiagonally from a pile and consequently at an angle to the grain of the paper, thereby materially overcoming the diiiculty above indicated.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a feeder in which' the means that removes the sheets from the sup port, will direct them not only toward the conveyor, but also toward the guide, thus performing a double function.

Stillanother object is to'provide in connection with the sheet removing means, cooperating air blast means for raising the upper sheets toward the removing device, saidv means operating at the corner of the pile, at whichplace sepa-ration will occur much more easily, and therefore further minimizing the liability of more than one sheet being fedat a time.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevationl of the preferred embodiment of construction. Y' Figure 2' is a top plan view of the'same.

tion roller and air blast nozzles and their relation to the pile of sheets.

In the embodiment disclosed, a suitable frame 7 is employed, in which is mounted a vertically movable table 8 fora. pile of sheets, as 9. This table is supported by sprocket chains y10 operating over sprocket wheels 11 on shafts 12 that are journaled on the frame. The shafts 12 carry worm wheels 13v engaged by worms On a cross shaft 14. The shaft 14 is also provided with a ratchet wheel 15 on whichoperates a pawl 16 pivoted on a pawl carrier 17 that is journaled on the shaft 14. The pawl carrier is oscillated by a link 18 having a loose play connection 19 with the pawl carrier and having a crank mounting 2O on a Crank disk 21. Obviously as the crank disk 21 rotates, the pawl carrier 17 will, un-

less otherwise prevented, have an oscillatory.

movement, thereby operating the pawl 16 and causing it to intermittently rotate the ratchet wheel 15. This rotates the shaft let,

turning the worm wheels 13, shafts 12 and the sprocket wheels 11. As a consequence the chains 10 are drawn upwardly, elevating the table.

In order to control the upward movement of the table by this ratchet mechanism, the pawl carrier 17 kis provided with a stop iinger 22, and a detent finger 23, pivoted at 24,

is adapted to swing to and from a position` `beneath the finger 22. The movement of the detent finger 23 is controlled bya link 24a pivoted thereto and pivoted to a crank arm 25 on a rock shaft 2G. The rock shaft fa Y has a forwardly extending arm 27 provided y with a feeler 28 that rests on the rear por- Varm 27 are elevated, thereby moving the link .ent positions on said post.

vside of a suitable fan, indicated at 48.

24n in a direction to cause the detent 23 to be located beneath the finger 22. The pawl carrier 17 cannot therefore oscillate but the loose play connection 19 of the driving link 18 allows the latter to move. When the top of the pile is lowered, due to the removal of the sheets, the feeler28 will drop, thereby causing the link 24a to Withdraw the detent 23from beneath the linger 22 and leaving the pawl carrier 17 free to oscillate sufliciently to cause the pawl to alternatelyV ride over the teeth of the ratchet wheels 15, and thereafter engage the same and turn said ratchet wheel with a consequent elevation of the table.

Extending from the rear side of the frame 7 is a sheet conveyor, including endless tapes 30 for carrying the sheets away from the pile support. These tapes' pass around a front roll 31 and a rear roll '32.7 Coacting with the roll31 are the usual pressure rollsY 33 that serve to cause the sheets delivered from the pile, to be frictionally engaged and carried on to the conveyor tapes 30. Located alongside the conveyor, preferably on the front side of the machine, is a guide bar 34, against which the edges of the sheets engage, the stream of sheets thereby lbeing positioned to pass on into the succeeding instrumentality that operates on them; y y

Means are provided in the present embodiment for removing the sheets from thepile and delivering them not only toward the conveyor, but also toward'the opposite guide 34. To rthis end a supporting post 35 is mounted on one side of the frame and an arm V36has a split collar 37 mounted on the post, so that the arm may be adjusted or swungto differ- A contracting bolt 38, engaged with the split collar, serves to clamp the same andl consequently thearm I to the post 35. This arm 36 terminates at its 'free end in a contractile split-fcollar 39 in which is a vertical rod 40 having rotatably mounted'cn its lower end, a depending yoke 41. In this yoke is journaled a suctionroller 42, which overlies the rear corner of the pile 9 that is adjacent to the guide 34, The yoke 41 can be clamped by contracting the ,collar 43, which embraces the rod 40.

The ysuction roller 42 is rotated by any suitable means, as for example, a iexible shaft 44 connected to a driving gear 45.in

mesh with another gear 46 that is mounted on the shaft carrying the roller 31. EX- tending from the suction roller 42 is the usual suction conduit 47 leading to the intake A valve'49 in the conduit 47, controls the suction through the roller 42 in a manner Well understood, said valve being operated by suitable cam mechanism V50. Leading from the discharge side of the fan 48 is a conduit v51 connected to branches 52 (see Figure 6) that terminate at nozzles 53. These nozzles are located on the opposite sides of the corner y of the pile 9, over which the suction roller 42 is located.

It will be understood that the elevation of the table and of the pile of sheets located thereon takes place in the well-known manner. That is to say, as the sheets are removed and the top of the pile thereby lowered, the table is automatically elevated until the top of the pile assumes its normal location. It will also be understood that the suction roller as such operates in the usual manner to remove the topmost sheets successively. It will be noted, however, that this roller has its axis of rotation located diagonally or obliquely to the pile, to the direction of movement ofthe conveyor and to the guide 34, and that as its underside rotates rearwardly, the sheets are picked. up at their corners andare delivered toward the conveyor and also toward the guide 34. Consequently they are not only removed from the pile and delivered to the conveyor, but are brought toward and against the guide by the action of the suction roller. Because of the yadjustable support, this suction rollercan he placed in varying positions and at different angles of inclination, making it adaptable for use on sheets of different sizes and on piles located at various distances from thev guide 34.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, f operation and many advantages of theherein described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without further description and it will be understood that variousfchanges in the size, shape, proportion and minor` details of construction maybe resortedcto without departing yfrom the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. Y

1. In a sheet feeding apparatus, vthe combination with a support for a plurality of sheets that permits their oblique movement thereover, of means behind the, support for conveying the sheets rearwardly away from .the support, y,aguide for the sheets carried by the conveyor and located behind the support and alongside the conveyor, and a device for removing sheets from the' support and .directing them diagonally of the conveying means and toward the guide as they advance toward the latter.` Y

2. In a-sheet feeding apparatus, the combmation with a support for a plurality of sheets, of a conveyor behind the support for carrying the sheets away from the support, a guide for the sheets carried by the conveyor and located alongside the same and behind the support, and a suction device above the support for moving the sheets successively from the support rearwardly, obliquely of the conveyor and toward the guide.

3. In a sheet feeding apparatus, the combination with a support for a plurality of sheets, of a conveyor behind the support for carrying the sheets away from the support, a guide 'for the sheets carried by the Conveyor and located alongside said conveyor, and a suction roller for moving the sheets successively from the sup-port andtoward the guide, said roller having its aXis of rotation disposed in a plane substantially parallelr to the sheets and set obliquely to the direction inwhich the conveyor moves and .operating to move the sheets rearwardly to the conveyor and obliquely toward the guide.

4;. In a sheet feeding apparatus, the combination with a support for a plurality ofsheets, of a conveyor for carrying sheetsv away from said support, al guide for the sheets so conveyed, a device for removing the sheets from the support, and directing them to the conveyor, and means for adjustably supporting the device for changing its angularity of position to cause the device to direct the sheets toward the guide.

5. In a sheet feeding apparatus, the combination with a support for a plurality of sheets, of a conveyor for carrying sheets away from said support, a guide for the sheets so conveyed, a suction roller for removing the sheets from the support and directing them to the conveyor, and a support for the roller adjustable to permit it to be set obliquely to the conveyor and guide to direct the sheets toward the guide. y

6. In a sheet feeding apparatus, the combination with a frame, a vvertically movable pile support therein, of a conveyor for carrying sheets away from the support, a guide located alongside the conveyor, a'post mounted on the frame, an arm adjustably mounted on the post, and overhanging the support, a yoke adjustably suspended from the arm, and a suction roller journaled in the yoke and operating to remove sheets successively from a Y pile on the support and deliver them` toward f the conveyor and guide.

7. In a sheet feeding apparatus, the com` bination with a frame, of a vertically movable pile support mounted thereon, a conveyor for carrying sheets away from the support, a guide located alongside the conveyor, asuction roller overlying the corner portion of the support adjacent the guide, means for adjustably mounting the suction roller to permit itsaXis of rotation to be adj usted to dierent degrees of angularity with respect to the pile support, conveyor and guide, means for rotating the suction roller to causel it to deliver sheets to the conveyor and toward the guide, and means for directing a blast vof air against the corner portion of the pile overhung by the suction roller.

8. `In combination with a support for a pile of sheets, of means behind the support :for conveying the sheets rearwardly in fiat condition from the pile, a guide for the sheets located longitudinally of the conveying means and behind the support, and a sheet delivering means that operates over the pile support and over the rear corner of the pile that is adjacent the conveyor and guide, said delivery means operating to move the sheets obliquely of the pile support and to the conveyor and toward the guide.

9. In combination with a support for a pile of sheets, of means behind the pile on the support for conveying the sheets rearwardly away from the pile, a guide for the sheets located longitudinally of the conveying means and behind the pile, a suction roller rotatable on ajsubstantially horizontal axis that is oblique to the pile support and located over vthe rear corner of the pile that is adjacent the guide, and means for rotating the roller to cause its underside to operate on the corner portions of the sheets and obliquely of the pile move said sheets away from the pile support in an oblique direction and advance them to the conveyor and toward the guide.

In testimony whereof, I aiiX my signature.

ALBERT BROADMEYER. 

